The Mathis News (Mathis, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 42, Ed. 1 Friday, October 17, 1952 Page: 6 of 14
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VI 1
2—THE MATHIS NEWS—Mathis, Texas, Friday, Oct. 17, 1952
Land Clearing Project \^as Largest E>
Undertaken In the Mathis Area
The largest land clearing pro-
ject that the people in this area
have ever seen in their lifetimes
was undertaken this year just
two and half miles from the city
of Mathis to the northeast.-
F. H. Vahlsing, Inc. bought
6,287 acres of land from Mrs.
Katherine Clifton, who now lives
in Iriquois County, Illinois, in
January of this year. The land
was from an original tract of
11.660.33 acres owned by Mrs.
Clifton. Purchase price of the
land was shown to be $469,000
and “other considerations”, ac-
cording to the records .at the
county courthouse.
Clearing operations commenced
on the land on January 4 and
by the time planting season roll-
ed around in the spring enough
of it was cleared to plant 5,700
acres in crops.
The remaining acreage was just
completed a couple of months
ago. This portion was that^ next
to the new gin. Workman are
now working on this part pick-
ing up roots and burning them.
The land clearing was an im-
mense job, and during the course
the work, over 40 diesel tractors
were working at one time, in
addition to the other equipment
used on the job.
Somewhere in
the neighbor
Neill, the Texaco distributor, and
Blackstone Dillworth, the Sin-
clair dealer, supplied fuel to the
contractors during the clearing
operations.
H. L. McEachern of Mathis
was the supervisor for the huge
clearing operation.
The first operation in the
clearing of the land was for the
huge tractors to “chain” the brush
down. This operation was per-
formed by a pair of tractors pul-
ling a cable or heayy chain bet-
ween them. The heavy chain
used -by some of the contractors
was an anehor chain from navy
ships. It weighed in the neigh-
borhood of 80 pounds to the
foot, and lengths of from 250 to
300 feet were being pulled by the
tractors. Some contractors liked
the chain better because its
weight would break the trees
ud when it rolled over them
Others liked cables better be-
cause they were easier to handle
and did not sap the power of
the tractors as the chains did.
These’ two bulldozers worked
about 100 to 150 feet apart and
realy used teamwork in rooting
up the trees. When a heavy trunk
was hit the tractors stopped and
heaved together to uproot the
tree. Sometimes a heavy tree
The land was then raked sev-1 many roots were still left in the
eral times depending upon how | field. Hands were then brought
I in to pick up the roots.
| This hand picking of the land
has continued until now, with
some crews picking up roots and
burning them on the last por-
tion of the land that was cleared.
During the course of the clear-
ing many people visited the area,
and were amazed at the vastness
of the operation. The land was
cleared in record time, as in
January it was estimated that
only about 3,000 acres could be
cleared in time for planting
season.
Sarabia Has Place To Eat
At New Gin
The F. H. Vahlsing gin eveft*
has a place to eat!
On the corner of the gin pro-
perty, Jim Sarabia has built a
cafe, and serves some very deli-
cious Mexican style food.
Jim used to be in Beeville,
where people from all over* the
country came to eat his food.
Before the summer he moved \
to Mathis, and during the grain
season he had a small short ,
order place here in town. When.
(See SARABIA, Page 10)
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hood of 70 men were employed i caused one of the tractors
by the various companies so that
the work could go on around the
clock. Nine companies had con-
tracts to clear the land, and
fuel for the tractors was fur-
nished by three local distributors.
The first contractor on the job
was Shanley Brothers of Robs-
town who had a portion of land
on the eastern extdemities of
the farm. This land was the first
to be cleared and put into culti-
vation. The Brown and Lowman
Company of Corpus Christi work-
ed with this company.
Other companies who worked
on the land were Brown and Hol-
eman of Mathis, Bill Holmes, of
Mathis, Moore and Son of Fal-
furrias, “Speedy” Morton of
Edinburg, Jim Kaufman of
George West, Bud McCallum of
Kingsville, J. A. Hamilton of
Beeville, Hall and Maples of
Beeville, and the Ballinger Bro-
thers ‘of San Benito.
These contractors were given
from 400 to 60C- acres of land
apiece to clear. It was divided
up according to the number of
tractors and meen each company
had on the job.
Ran Nelson representing the
Humble Oil Company, Bill Mc-
die before the driver could stop.
When this happened the other
tractor just kept going and pull-
the dead tractor backwards un-
til the engine started. About 200
acres per day could be cleared
by each pair of tractors.
The next step in the clearing
operations was to rake up and
stack the brush the chains had
uprooted. This operation was
done with tractors with rake
like attachments on the front-
end. The tractor ran along until
it had collected enough brush
in its rake, and then would pile
it up where it could be burned.
Huge plows then plowed the
land to a depth of 12 -18 inches.
These plows cut off the roots
and brought many of them to the
oiirfare where a large rake could
pile them up for further burn-
ing. This rake was run with its
tongs down in the ground and
was so designed that when a
root hit the rake it would coipe
to the surface
Once this rake was.* run across
the ground and the stalks burn-
ed again, tractors were run across
the land pulling a cable spread-
ing out the burned ashes and
small pieces of roots left.
Above is a picture of the huge
battleship anchor chain which
contractors used in clearing land
•on the Vahlsing farm last Jan-
uary. Two Caterpiller tractors
are attached to the chain,
one on each end. The tractor
run about 75 to a 100 feet apart
draging the chain behind them
as can be seen in the' picture. The
chain bowls over the trees with
ease.—Caller Times Photo.
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This tractor is pulling a heavy
plow which has a blade running
about 18 inches under the sur-
face cutting off roots and loosen-
ing up the soil.
Caller-Times Photo.
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A crawler tractor with a spec-
ially made rake mounted on the
front is stacking the brush after
it was torn up by the chain. The
brush was burned.
Caller-Times Photo.
The last step in the clearing of
the land is raking up the roots
that are underground. This trac-
tor is pulling the large rake
which is so shaped that it brings -
roots t othe surface where they
can be burned.
Caller-Times Photo.
CONGRATULATIONS
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* F. H. VAHLSING
on your new Irrigation
Project
and the new industry you
have brought to Mathis
This is well No. 1 on the Vahl-
sing farm as it was being put
on a test. The well flowed about
2,500 gallons per minute. Mr.
jn
Vahlsing' is shown watching the
well after christening cerem-
onies recently.
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View of the new Vahlsing gin
near Mathis, during the past cot-
ton season when the gin yard
was full of trailer loads of cot-
ton.
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Helm, Bobby. The Mathis News (Mathis, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 42, Ed. 1 Friday, October 17, 1952, newspaper, October 17, 1952; Mathis, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1038943/m1/6/: accessed June 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Mathis Public Library.